UNOCHA officials meet with junta government bombing civilians including in Rakhine and Sagaing

AYEYARWADDY TIMES July 21 An UNOCHA team led by Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Indrika Ratwatte, met with a delegation including junta Deputy President Nyo Soe on July 20 in Naypyidaw. The meeting took place as the junta government's forces are conducting aerial bombings targeting civilian areas in Rakhine, Sagaing, and across the country, leading to over 16 million civilians requiring urgent assistance within the nation. It is reported that discussions were held on cooperation in disaster management, post-earthquake recovery, and the provision of humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the junta government side discussed the feasibility of holding sham elections in 2025 and the political situation in Myanmar, and also held a separate meeting with Dr. Soe Win, the junta government's Minister of Social Welfare. "Although UNOCHA is aware of the actual bombings of civilians and the obstruction of aid on the ground, the meeting was diplomatically necessary to provide even a small amount of assistance to civilians in distress. We will have to wait and see if the targeted attacks on civilians on the ground actually decrease, rather than just agreements on paper," a political analyst told the Ayeyarwaddy Times. Myanmar is among the world's worst humanitarian crises, with over 100,000 people recently displaced due to fighting in Magway Region, bringing the total number of people fleeing conflict across the country to nearly 3.8 million, according to UNOCHA. Moreover, reports from the United Nations and human rights organizations indicate that the junta government's forces are continuously carrying out aerial bombings and heavy artillery attacks on civilian areas in Rakhine State, internally displaced persons camps, schools, and hospitals in Sagaing Region and other regions and states. Political analysts have criticized that the military is using humanitarian assistance as a political and military weapon, and is strictly blocking routes that could help civilians affected by the conflict. Although the junta government side offered symbolic promises and explanations during the meeting, oppression and aerial attacks on civilians continue to occur on the ground. Photo – MOI, Sagaing People's Support Network